Saving an old custom 59 chevy

[wrenchr]

I went to last Sundays Detroit auto modelers toy and model show and found  this old chevy truck. I gave $10.00 for it, wood putty was used for the body work so I removed all of that with the paint in the old purple pond and now I'm in the process of turning this into a mild 60's custom. The chassis is a screw bottom impala and the whole truck was to far modified to save as an original. I following this one through........ Using AMT galaxie custom parts.    

I have more pics with some putty on it. will get those posted up later. Plan on having it in paint this weekend. Not going to spend a ton of time on it, my goal is a cool shelf model. 

[wrenchr]

The bottom pics with it black is how I bought it.  

[wrenchr]

[Oldschool4x4]

That is cool, really like the tail light treatment. What color???

[Tom Geiger]

Neat!  Can't wait to see your progress.

I bought a 1960 that was worse than yours at Toledo for $10.  Only thing to salvage on mine is the bed, which is just what I needed for a project.

[wrenchr]

Did not meet my goal, this old plastic has been fighting me.......it is sagging and warped. Thought the roof was ok until I wet sanded it and seen all the low spots and the driver side bed is very warped. Still pushing through and about to get back to it. I will take some more pics and post up my progress.

Thanks Guys,

I was going to paint it a testers metallic lacquer but with the issues I mentioned above I'm going to shoot it flat black and then some 2X satin clear. I might go ahead and paint the roof red.  

Edited November 18, 2019 by wrenchr
spelling, fat fingers...

[wrenchr]

[wrenchr]

Calling the body work on the bed done, I'm thinking about applying the design into a revell 66 chevy truck kit.

[Plowboy]

This is really cool! I'm surprised it isn't warped worse than it is. Stick with it Jason. You got something really special with this old truck.

 

[wrenchr]

  On 11/18/2019 at 8:54 PM, Plowboy said:

This is really cool! I'm surprised it isn't warped worse than it is. Stick with it Jason. You got something really special with this old truck.

 

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Thanks Roger,

It is worse than the way it shows trust me. That plastic strip in the bed is supporting the bed sides and the bed floor I had to support that. The cab sides are warped as well. I'm going to brace that maybe. It will be very cool I just do not want to spend to much time working on it. The process with the bed was rough in the body work, blend it in with putty and go through a few rounds with that and when I think it is close I shoot it with scratch filling primer and body work that and then shoot it once more and then color and satin clear. I would have normally did the primer and block 2 to 3 times.  

Edited November 18, 2019 by wrenchr

[wrenchr]

  On 11/18/2019 at 9:15 PM, wrenchr said:

Thanks Roger,

It is worse than the way it shows trust me. That plastic strip in the bed is supporting the bed sides and the bed floor I had to support that. The cab sides are warped as well. I'm going to brace that maybe. It will be very cool I just do not want to spend to much time working on it. The process with the bed was rough in the body work, blend it in with putty and go through a few rounds with that and when I think it is close I shoot it with scratch filling primer and body work that and then shoot it once more and then color and satin clear. I would have normally did the primer and block 2 to 3 times.  

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On a side note I bought it from the guy that built it as a kid and I think that is part of why I want it to turn out good and have spent the time on it. 

[wrenchr]

The paint is on the bed. the first pic you can see the downward slope to the rear and the driver side rear lower 1/4 is pushing out. I'm happy with it though. It will sit lower in the front when done and I'm going to epoxy it together for final assembly.

Had to wrap it up, work nights and about to get in the shower.   

 

Edited November 18, 2019 by wrenchr

[Plowboy]

Even with the warpage issues, this thing is just too cool not to build! 

I built an original SMP '60 Apache LB a while back. I didn't have the warpage that you do. But, I had to do a lot of body work to get the lines to match up and use parts from the AMT kit to get it decent looking. 

This project is giving me some ideas for an old custom Chevy pickup!

[wrenchr]

I'm still going to finish, just not going to spend as much time as I would normally on this type of build.

[Sam I Am]

Glad your sticking with it. Gives me ideas as well. 

[Koellefornia Kid]

Very nice traditional kustom project!

[gotnitro?]

Cool looking truck definitely worth saving

[Tom Geiger]

I'm following!  It's great to restore an old soldier. It deserves to live on!

I restore a lot of the old built ups I find.  I don't try to make them contemporary builds with the best of my skills and new materials.  I restore them to what they were.  Same here!

And if you can get to NNL East this spring, you are right into the theme!
 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Tom Geiger

[ZTony8]

I hope you finish it in time to bring it to our D.A.A.M. spring show next March 29th.

[wrenchr]

  On 11/24/2019 at 10:25 PM, ZTony8 said:

I hope you finish it in time to bring it to our D.A.A.M. spring show next March 29th.

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Might have to do just that. I bought it from the fall show.  

I need to update. tonight maybe.   

[wrenchr]

Small update. I thought the body work would show through on the roof and it did not, should have been more concerned with my tape job.   

comments welcome.

[stitchdup]

Looks pretty cool,

[wrenchr]

almost there.

Been taking care of my brother, he broke his arm in a work accident and had to have surgery. 

 

[Tom Geiger]

Any progress on this build?  It's been a year!

[wrenchr]

  On 1/3/2021 at 6:05 PM, Tom Geiger said:

Any progress on this build?  It's been a year!

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Thanks for remembering Tom, I have been thinking about this one as well. Just need to put it back together. The interior needs painted and that's about it. The warping has not seemed to have worsened. Things did get derailed with my Brothers injury. He is a lot better, will never be right again but he is a lot better and I moved on to other builds but this one has been sitting there waiting to be finished.